


Illustrations to Hope is a Waking Dream

by immoral_crow, johanirae



Series: Hope is a Waking Dream [2]
Category: Hawkeye (Comics), Inception (2010), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fanart, Fluff, Gen, Illustrations, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-13
Updated: 2015-11-13
Packaged: 2018-05-01 10:35:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 527
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5202638
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/immoral_crow/pseuds/immoral_crow, https://archiveofourown.org/users/johanirae/pseuds/johanirae
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Illustration post for immoral-crow’s 2015 MBB fanfic Hope is a Waking Dream. A brilliant post Avengers fic looking into the unorthodox means with which Clint deals with the trauma of the first movie.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Illustrations to Hope is a Waking Dream

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Hope is a Waking Dream](https://archiveofourown.org/works/5202569) by [immoral_crow](https://archiveofourown.org/users/immoral_crow/pseuds/immoral_crow), [johanirae](https://archiveofourown.org/users/johanirae/pseuds/johanirae). 



“Thanksgiving,” Natasha says, fixing him with a look. “What are your plans?”

“Dunno,” he says, and it’s perhaps the most truthful thing he’s said in weeks. “Not really thought about it.” 

It’s only as her brows snap down that he realizes his mistake. “Phil’s gone,” he tries, too little, too late. “It wouldn’t be the same without him.”

Phil doesn’t spout platitudes. He’s always trusted her judgment, and apparently not even death has changed that. 

“What’s causing it?” he asks instead. 

“New York.” She bites her thumbnail, looks at the lights of Barney’s house that are twinkling now in the distance. “The team.” 

“The team?” There’s an edge to Phil’s voice and she shakes her head. 

“Not like that. He’s always been his own worst critic, and now it’s like he’s measuring himself up to the others, and it’s just confirming that he’s not good enough.” 

This time she holds out her arms and the cat climbs right into them, butting his head at her chin until she skritches him. If the purring is anything to go by, she has the magic touch. 

“Great.” Clint’s found some blueberries and eggs. “I’ll do some pancakes though, if you want them.”

“Sure.” There’s an edge to Tony’s tone now, and when Clint turns around, his hands full, Tony’s staring at him with an odd expression. 

It’s only then that Clint realizes that this is the first time he’s done this, that he’s bothered to make coffee for anyone on his team, much less breakfast. He almost falters, but Tony starts rooting in a cupboard and emerges with flour and syrup and puts them on the counter next to Clint with a ridiculously hopeful expression. 

“Loser pays,” he says, and gives Barney a second so it’s a fair race before heading inside as fast as he decently can. 

“Who was it, then?” Barney asks when they have coffee and pancakes in front of them. “Who did it to you?”

“Barton.” Eames is, as always, a study in louche detachment, but Clint is fairly sure that Arthur is watching from somewhere close by, and that no matter how fast Clint might be on the trigger, Arthur would be faster. 

Instead he nods at Eames, and buys himself a latte, because Eames seems to think that it’s funny to force Clint to visit Starbucks every time they meet. 

So, she squares her shoulders, and meets his eyes as best she can. It seems to be enough, and a small smile curls the corners of his lips before he turns and greets his wife, his Laura. 

“I’m gonna kill him,” Tony says, and Clint frowns because, yeah, he gets that Phil was a bit of a douche for not letting them know he was alive, but that’s just S.H.I.E.L.D. 

The last thing she is aware of as the world comes adrift and the seams of reality bow and flex is their hands: the strength in them, the warmth of them, how they hold something in her safe through this whirlwind. 

_It’s worth it_ she thinks. All of this. Everything. But before she can say it, she wakes up. 

**Author's Note:**

> Another Immoral-crow / Johanirae major production! Seriously man, I love working with this brilliant person, she inspires the best in me. It was fun to really bring out the emotions in the characters Her work is fascinating and intriguing, please go forth and read


End file.
